Streator man confesses to 2002 slaying

A 20-year-old man has confessed while in jail on unrelated robbery charges to beating a Streator woman to death in her home five years ago, authorities said.

Tara Becker

A 20-year-old man has confessed while in jail on unrelated robbery charges to beating a Streator woman to death in her home five years ago, authorities said.

LaSalle County State’s Attorney Brian Towne said Tuesday at a news conference that Randall E. Jennings of Streator has been charged with the June 2002 murder of Cynthia Defenbaugh, 50.

Towne said that the investigation had been focusing in on Jennings for two weeks.

An article in the Ottawa Times ran June 9 led to tips about the case, Towne said.

Towne elaborated on the circumstances at a bond hearing Tuesday for Jennings. He said that on June 20, Streator Police Detective John Krasnican received a letter about the case from Jennings, who was being held in the LaSalle County Jail.

Over the next two days, Krasnican met with Jennings and obtained an audio and videotaped confession to the slaying.

Police then searched Jennings’ home and found an item belonging to Defenbaugh, Towne said.

Jennings said that on June 8, 2002, he entered Defenbaugh’s home to rob her. When she confronted him, he took a hammer and beat her about the head and neck.

While she was on the ground, Towne said, Jennings then hit her with her crutch, which she had been using because of a broken ankle.

Jennings faces four counts of murder and will be charged as an adult.

Towne said he cannot seek the death penalty because Jennings was 15 when Defenbaugh was killed.

Towne said he would have pursued the death penalty if Jennings had been 18 at the time because of the “brutal and heinous” nature of the crime.

If convicted, Jennings faces 20 to 60 years in prison without the possibility of parole.

He is being represented by public defender Tim Cappellini.

Defenbaugh was a longtime Streator resident. Three members of her family attended Tuesday’s news conference. In a short statement read by Towne, the family, who do not want their names revealed at this time, said that they are “relieved to be at the point we’re at today.”

Streator Police Chief Jeff Anderson, who also attended the news conference, offered the family his condolences in a prepared statement.

”I hope this arrest will start the healing process for the family of Cynthia and eventually help them, along with the community, to find closure to a traumatic event,” Anderson said.

Jennings’ bond was raised to $2 million Tuesday at a hearing before Circuit Judge Cynthia Raccuglia. He had been held on $50,000 bond on one count of robbery and two counts of vehicular invasion.

Police said that on Feb. 5, Jennings reached into a woman’s car with the intention of robbing her. On March 5, he allegedly stole a woman’s purse and about $300. He was arrested later in March.

The case will go to a LaSalle County grand jury July 10, and Jennings will be arraigned July 12.

The investigation is continuing, and Towne and Anderson encourage anyone with additional information about the case to contact Streator police at (815) 672-3111.

Police continue to investigate another Streator slaying. Seven-year-old Dalton Mesarchik disappeared March 26, 2003, as he was waiting outside his home for a ride to a church event. His body was found the next day along the Vermilion River south of town. He had been beaten to death with a sledgehammer.